The Life in the Night
by silverfoxpunk
Summary: When Damon is fatally bitten by a werewolf he goes to his usual place to console himself - a bar. There he happens upon drinking buddy Eric Northman, who decides to help him live his last few hours with style. Damon/Eric slash. Rated M for Mmmmm.
1. Fancy Seeing You Here

**A/N: Takes place after the end of Season 3 True Blood, Eric has killed Russell Edgington and Sookie has left Bon Temps to visit the faerie realm. It also immediately follows episode 19 Season 2 of Vampire Diaries, when Damon is dying from Tyler's fatal werewolf bite.**

**For Sleepwell: "A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." Nelson Mandela**

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><p><strong>The Life in the Night<strong>

**Chapter 1: Fancy Seeing You Here**

He walked away from the graveyard with the pain from the bite in his arm and the sting of leaving his brother for the final time in his heart.

Stefan was angry; angry with him for giving up, angry at himself for remembering that he actually loved his troublesome older brother and didn't want him to die.

Stefan's anger and sorrow wasn't what he wanted for his last hours on earth. He locked his own pain deep inside himself. He needed to get drunk, mind numbing drunk. He just didn't want to feel anymore.

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><p>The bar was busy, despite the fact that the sun had just set. Waitresses carried a steady stream of trays loaded with burgers and nachos to the clientele who sat around drinking beers and getting pleasantly toasted.<p>

He hated the sound of their inane chatter and over-done laughter, it didn't suit his mood. He huddled over his glass of imported beer and sunk the whisky chaser. His eyes wandered over to the pool table where a couple of girls were playing against four boys. Didn't seem like a fair match. Every time one of the girls leaned over, the boys made the kinds of comments and faces he had grown to expect, hell, he'd probably thrown out the same sexist, degrading remarks himself at some point.

Now that he thought about it, he was kind of sick and tired of the entire human race. And he was certainly sick and tired of relationships and the angst they had brought to his long life.

He closed his eyes as a sharp pain stabbed him, moving up his arm into his shoulder. He rolled up his sleeve to examine the blackening wound. Glancing up at the bar staff, he no longer saw a pimply boy and two smiling girls, they had been replaced by a red-faced demon and his gnarled black acolytes. He blinked the illusion away. Damn, this werewolf poison worked fast. He'd better drink more and faster.

He put up his hand to call over one of the girls and ordered more expensive beer and another whisky chaser. He was about to compel her into thinking he had already paid, when he heard a familiar, smooth voice next to him saying, "Allow me to get that. And please, the same for me." He swiveled on his bar stool to face the person who was buying him a drink.

"Eric Northman, well, well, well. You are the last person I expected to see tonight." He snorted at the potential irony buried in those words. Eric leaned backwards, elbows on the bar next to him, but even reclining, Damon had to cast his eyes up to look into the distinguishable face of the six-foot four Viking.

"Damon. Long time, no see. How are you, old friend?"

"Been better." Eric narrowed his blue eyes, detected there was more to Damon's frivolous tone than he let on, but let it pass. There was time enough for discussion. "What are you doing in this part of the world?" Damon asked. "Last time I saw you were heading down into redneck country."

The handsome, blonde vampire smiled. He remembered that occasion well. He and Damon had met casually before, but that night they had bonded over bourbon and brunettes. The two vampires had ended up enjoying each other's company until dawn in more ways than one.

He thanked the bar girl who had brought their drinks and then, to Damon's surprise, he actually paid her.

"So hell must have frozen over then," Eric began, "because I believe that that is what you said it would take to bring you back to Mystic Falls."

"Yeah, well, something like that." Damon picked up his chaser, Eric mimicked him and they touched glasses.

"Skål." Eric said.

"Skål." Damon repeated. He kind of liked the vampire's ancient language, it made him think of more honest times when emotional exchanges were settled with axes.

They downed their shots and carried the bourbon bottle and glasses to a booth, planning to catch up in private. Damon slid onto the ripped green leather seat and poured each of them another shot.

"So why exactly are you here, Eric? I'm curious as to why a vampire like you is wasting your time in a dump like Mystic."

"Actually, I think your town has, shall we say, a certain rural charm?" Damon followed Eric's eye line, which took him to a pretty girl who had just walked into the bar. There was something of the sun about her - it radiated off her freckled, fresh skin and strawberry blonde locks.

Damon returned his gaze to the vampire in front of him and smiled. "Have you seen the waitress?" He asked, nodding in the direction of a tall, slim brunette who was serving the banquette next to theirs, a pen behind her ear, her skirt almost as short as the apron she wore. "I should have thought she was more your type." He smiled.

Eric's mood suddenly changed. "I'm done with waitresses." Damon noted the way the Viking suddenly seemed to shrink inside himself and raised an eyebrow. Curious, but he would let it go, for now.

"So" he repeated, "Why are you here, Eric? I'm waiting."

"To find you and your brother actually. And Katherine. We heard news she was out of the tomb. You three still joined at the hip?"

Damon snorted. "Not exactly. Your sources are a little behind the times. Katherine is old news."

"Pity, I always liked Katherine. Had a bit of fire in her."

"You could say that."

"And Isabel?"

"Dead."

"I'm sorry. I know you were her maker." Damon nodded. Looked away. "My condolences." Damon nodded again. Drank his bourbon in silence.

"Who is 'we'?" He asked after a moment. Eric looked puzzled. "You said 'we' heard news?"

"Oh, that." It was the blonde's turn to down his drink. "I am here to inform the vampires of all the Southern states that we have a new King in area five. King William Compton the first." He said formally, barely keeping the hatred out of his voice.

"The same Bill Compton who did that database?"

"One and the same."

"Hell."

"Indeed."

"What happened to Queen Sophie-Anne?"

"Decorating his walls."

"I see nothing much changes at the top." Damon snorted. "Same old vampire politics." Eric smiled, but it quickly fell away.

"It's a disaster. I'm his goddamn Sheriff." He said.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "You are? Where?"

"Shreveport, Louisiana. I run a club there. Fangtasia. Come any time, drinks on the house for any vampire brethren, blah blah." He rolled his hand dramatically.

Damon smirked. "Thanks. I'd love to take you up on that invitation. You have no idea how much." He said dryly. "Sadly, I don't think I will have the time. And frankly, the news of our new King isn't going to bother me too much either."

"Oh?" Eric asked curiously. A change in any one of the area's monarchies usually caused much interest amongst the vampires. Hence this lowly, shitty task Bill had sent him on once he crawled free of the cement he had tried to bury him under.

When Bill had instructed him to travel around delivering the news of his rise to power, Eric had said exactly what he thought of the order. Turned out Bill hadn't much appreciated the comment 'ever heard of email?' and consequently, he was now on a month long tour of the Southern states, basically acting like a gossiping fish-wife, telling all the vampires he could find that a new King was in town.

The mission was a nod to an antiquated tradition that absolutely nobody followed any more. It was certainly well beneath a vampire of his status. A Sheriff. And that is precisely why Bill had made him do it. In a way, he actually admired Compton for commanding the insulting duty - it was exactly the kind of thing he would have done himself. Bill was drawing a line under their new relationship. Flexing his royal muscles publicly, so to speak.

Damon suddenly rolled up his sleeve and showed Eric his pulsing black wound. The Viking's eyebrows raised, but otherwise his expression didn't change. He was an ancient vampire, there wasn't much he hadn't seen.

"I take it you have a werewolf infestation here too then?" He asked.

"Yeah. Something like that." Damon waved at the waitress to bring him another beer, the effects of the bourbon were starting to show. His inhibitions were slipping. He needed to slow down, regain control.

Then thought, what the hell. Fuck it. He needed to tell someone. "I'm dying, Eric. Wanna drink to that?"

Still looking nonplussed, Eric raised his glass, gazed steadily into the younger vampire's saddened, yet defiant eyes and announced, "Well then, we'll have to give you a night to remember."


	2. Getting the Party Started

**Please read, enjoy and review. Apologies for lack of slash in this chap. Next one, I promise!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Getting the Party Started<strong>

"I dread to think what you consider to be a memorable way to leave this planet, Northman." Damon said with a distinctly sarcastic undertone. "My plan was to get drunk. That about covered it."

Eric reached out to tap the infected arm, now covered by a shirtsleeve. "I'd say that simply getting wasted would be missing an opportunity. What you need, my friend, is a chance to leave your mark on the residents of Mystic Falls." He smiled his sideways grin.

"What'd you have in mind?" replied Damon, struggling to put the pain aside and focus on the older vampire's words.

To his surprise, Eric's face morphed in front of him. He now wore his hair in a long, gold, rope-like braid over his shoulder. He was wrapped in a wolf fur which was clasped at the chest with an ornate gold brooch. The sounds of battle filled the air.

Damon shook his head clear. Eric squinted at him, then continued his thoughts. "I'll make sure this excuse for a town never forgets that Damon Salvatore was here."

Damon laughed bitterly. "If wiping its population off the map is your master plan, unfortunately I'll respectfully have to ask you to dial it down a notch. Surprisingly there are actually some people in this shit-hole who I care about." He grimaced as another pain shot through his arm. He wiped sweat from his brow.

Eric leaned forward. "Damon, Damon, Damon. My, how you have changed. The Damon I knew would be up for anything, including wiping out a little place like this if he only had hours to live. What, or should I perhaps say 'whom', has had this effect on you?"

Damon's lip curled into a snarl. "Let's not get distracted shall we? Focus on the task at hand, Northman. Time you delivered."

Eric smiled. He cast his eye around the room. If possible, the place was even busier than when the two vampires had entered. It was largely a young crowd, most of whom knew each other, if only by sight. The blonde vampire glanced back at his dying friend, felt a twinge of sympathy, then buried the emotion with another shot of bourbon.

Standing, his arms open wide, he proclaimed in a loud voice, "Drinks are on me. Everybody, have a shot of tequila. We are going to drink to the life of my good friend, Damon Salvatore." A loud cheer went up as the servers started to line up shots.

"Not exactly what I had in mind for a 'night to remember,'" muttered Damon, "a bunch of drunken townies."

"Oh, shame on you, Damon. I run a bar, remember? I think I know how to get a party started." Eric responded. "Answer me this, what annoys you most about humans?"

"How goddamn boring they are."

Eric let the smile in his eyes spread to his lips. "I think I can work with that." He said.

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><p>Eric snatched the half-empty bottle of tequila from the bar and moved through the room speaking to people and pouring them more drinks. To an untrained eye, it would appear he was merely having conversations, but to a trained one it was clear he was compelling them.<p>

His pace was surprisingly languid, but when Damon cottoned on to what Eric was doing, he realized how complex it was. The blonde vampire was picking out small groups, people who had arrived together or met up in the bar, and was giving each group something to do. In no time at all, the bar was transformed from drinking hole, to party central.

Eric's subtle, but twisted, eye for fun, had inverted every little thing that had gone on in the bar since he arrived. Nothing escaped his attention. The girls who were previously being letched over by the boys at the pool table, were now laughing and pouring champagne over the boys' naked bodies, as the men paraded for them catwalk-style up and down the pool table. The man who had been boring his date rigid, was now irresistible to her and she was taking her clothes off to try and get him interested. The married couple who had looked miserable and barely spoke, were now snogging each other's faces off.

Damon got unsteadily to his feet. "Eric my friend," he shouted waving his beer bottle in the air, "you are a bloody genius!"

The blonde vampire turned to him and with the merest hint of a smile, bowed his head.

The one tee-totaler in the room was downing shots like there was no tomorrow. Salt, drink, lime. Salt, drink, lime. Salt, drink, lime... Damon borrowed a couple of his shot glasses and swiped his liquor.

"Another drink, Eric. You are far too sober." Damon said, joining the other vampire and offering up a shot.

Only the vampire didn't take it, and suddenly Damon felt ridiculous for offering it in the first place, because it was snowing and they were in the middle of a battlefield. The Viking was staring at him with confusion. The thick wolf fur around his chin ruffled with the sudden gust of icy North wind.

The Viking leaned forward and put a firm hand on Damon's shoulder. "Det som göms i snö, kommer fram vid tö."

"What? I don't understand." Damon replied. He was shivering. He wasn't dressed for the snow.

The battle sounded like it was getting closer. Eric leaned into him, his blue eyes like flint.

"_Det som göms i snö, kommer fram vid tö!" _

"Eric, speak English!"

"I _am_, Damon. I said I think you should sit down."

"I'm fine." Said Damon, stubbornly. He ran his good wrist across his forehead and swept away the cold sweat that had formed on his brow.

Eric looked at him with eyes that didn't miss a thing. "Of course you are." He said dryly. "Time to bring on the dancing girls."

"Ah, yes! _Det __som __gom s__ee __snow. __Commer __fram __vid __tow. _Or whatever it was you said. Is that what it means? 'Bring on the dancing girls'?"

Eric frowned at him. "Where did you hear that?" He said quizzically.

"Wow, I must be wrong, because you would have to be seriously drunk my friend if you don't remember what you said to me just two seconds ago." Damon gave him his lopsided smile; he slurred a little.

"Well, I think what you are trying to say is 'Det som göms i snö, kommer fram vid tö'. 'What is hidden in snow, is revealed in thaw'." Eric translated.

"Wise words my ancient Viking friend. Wise words indeed." Damon said, blinking heavily. "I hope you are referring to my own hidden depths. Maybe in death they will be revealed, eh? Here's to Valhalla!"

Damon stumbled backwards and quick as a flash Eric grabbed him around the waist to stop him falling. He held Damon steady with a firm hand on his back. He let his eyes scan the dying vampire's to assess the speed of his decline. "My savior." Damon said to him, as Eric righted him to his feet. "What no kiss for the damsel-in-distress?" Damon smirked.

"If you are what passes for a damsel around here, then this _is_ sorry town." Eric replied matter-of-factly.

"Wow, it appears I am not the only one round here who has changed. Since when did you _not_ take advantage of someone lying prone in your arms?" Damon's blue eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Mmm, well, there is time enough for that."

Eric held Damon's gaze for a moment longer than necessary, as if to promise that this night was not over yet and then he turned to face the group of college kids in the corner of the room. "You! Follow us." He commanded. "And bring as many bottles of spirits as you can carry." He added in a tone that brooked no alternative.

Damon looked puzzled. "What are we doing?"

"Leaving your mark. Now, I assume this one-horse town has a football field? Take me to it."

"Sure. I'll drive."

"Oh goody, it's been a while since I woke up wrapped around a tree."

"I'm fine to drive."

"Of course you are, Damon. Lead the way."


	3. Losing the Battle

**Hope you are liking this. Be kind, review and let me know.**

**Contains slash.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: Losing the Battle<strong>

"What are we doing here?"

"I told you. Leaving your mark."

"I don't get the connection with leaving my mark and the Mystic Falls High School football ground? Unless it is to fuck up the mascot of course, which I totally approve of by the way. Smug Wildcat bastard."

"Your impatience is understandable, if a little wearing, Salvatore." Eric said wearily.

"What are _they_ doing here anyway?" Damon said, eyeballing the group of boys Eric had instructed to follow them, as they pulled up at the edge of the field and piled out of their truck.

Eric held the other vampire's face so he could look only at him. "Focus on me, not them. Tell me, what one message would you like to leave the world, Damon?"

"_You __missed __out __on __the __lay __of __your __life, __Elena __Gilbert!_" Damon shouted, swinging out of the vampire's grip and turning a whole three-sixty, until he came to a wobbly standstill.

Eric raised an eyebrow.

"Oh I don't know," Damon muttered. "'Fuck the lot of you', I suppose."

Eric walked over to the group of boys who still had bottles of alcohol under their arms and were waiting calmly under compulsion for instruction. Eric told them what to do and they set about their task with noisy enthusiasm, splitting up and going to different parts of the football field. Damon looked mystified.

"Well, that will take a little while to be ready." Eric said, placing his arm across the shorter vampire's shoulders and moving him back towards the Camaro. "So I suggest we find some way to occupy your valuable time whilst we wait."

"Eric, what are you up to?" Damon asked.

"Stop thinking so much." Eric reprimanded gently. "Let me take your mind of earthly concerns for a while." He whispered seductively into Damon's ear, whilst simultaneously pressing him back against the car. Eric lightly grazed his exposed fangs over Damon's throat and let his hot breath caress the vampire's skin. He slipped his hand between Damon's legs and squeezed.

Damon sighed with pleasure as Eric worked his charms on him - and boy the Viking had those in abundance. As Eric moved his hands over him, Damon took a swig from his open bottle. He grasped Eric's face between his palms and pushed his lips against him, slowly letting the liquor pass between them.

Eric's tongue flattened, letting the liquor course into his mouth. After he had swallowed the deep and smokey whiskey, he let his lips linger on Damon's. His tongue slipped back into the younger vampire's mouth and tasted his unique and peppery flavor.

Damon let the bottle smash on the ground and slid both his arms around Eric's slender back. Eric found his mouth again, and his soft, moist tongue brushed against his. The taller vampire moved his hand from Damon's crotch to the roof of the Camaro, steading himself as Damon pulled him closer until there was no space left between them at all.

Eric could feel Damon's cock stiffen against his leg. If he had any remaining illusions about this being a mercy-fuck, then the way that simple sensation made him feel was enough to put the idea down. Like in everything Damon did, in sex he gave up a part of himself, and that part was irresistible. Eric wanted what Damon offered him.

He pulled him inside of the car at vampire speed.

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><p>With Eric climbing astride him in the passenger seat, Damon marveled that the Viking still managed to look composed despite his raging hard-on and the fact that his head scraped the ceiling. He gave the blonde a lopsided smile and pushed the lever to lower his seat until he was practically horizontal. Eric returned his wicked smile with one of his own, and fell onto the vampire beneath him and kissed him hard - undoing Damon's pants with his free hand.<p>

Eric freed Damon's cock from its restrictions, while he attacked his neck with kisses.

Damon worried that in his passion Eric would forget something important, "You mustn't bite me...", he reminded him breathlessly.

"Mmm, pity. I remember how good your blood tastes." The Viking muttered into the hollow of his throat.

God, what Eric was doing with his fingers felt good. Damon automatically grabbed his ass and pulled him closer. He wanted to feel every every inch of the Viking's erection against him. He began to open the man's shirt. Eric's lips slid over his again and as he began to open Damon's shirt, but as soon as Damon closed his eyes to enjoy the feelings being aroused in him, a massive pain shot through his arm. He winced and grabbed his elbow, causing Eric to look at him with concern.

"Don't you dare say anything." Damon said through gritted teeth. A slick of sweat on his brow.

"I wasn't about to."

"I don't need your sympathy."

"I wasn't about to give it. You've had a long life, and I have no doubt you have lived it as unwisely as you would continue to do so if you lived to be my age. But I don't believe in suffering." He added more gently. "Let me enter those waking dreams you have been having. I can bring you comfort."

Damon thought for a moment, then briefly nodded.

"Close your eyes." Eric said to him and Damon did as he was bid. "Those words you said before - that other language you said I spoke. Where were you when I said it?"

"I don't know. There was a battlefield. And it was cold," Damon replied, "bitterly cold."

Eric shifted his body and placed his hand on Damon's chest. "Take my hand." He instructed. Damon brought his good arm up and lightly covered Eric's fingers with his own. Despite their previous sexual activity, lying next to Eric with their fingers intertwined felt strangely intimate.

"Show me." Eric said, closing his own eyes.

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><p>Damon let his pain wash over him and he was immediately back at the battlefield. This time though, was different. Over the clang of weapons being struck, and the clamor of men crying out to each other, Eric was there with him. <em>Really<em> there.

The Viking regarded his own appearance from his feet to his hands. When he had done appraising himself, he looked at Damon with a raised eyebrow.

"Why didn't you go the whole nine yards and picture a double horned helmet whilst you were at it?"

"Is it my fault how the media portray Vikings? I can't help it if I lack imagination." Damon said.

"Hmm." Eric said doubtfully, then he leaned forwards and spoke in the vampire's ear. "Come."

Eric lead Damon through a motley, ragged camp. His men seemed tired and beaten down. Aside from the cries of the injured, there was an uneasy silence.

"Why is it so quiet?" Damon asked Eric as they passed the area where weaponry was being repaired.

"Because they are losing." Eric stated simply.

They finally reached the heart of the encampment, which had a semi-circle of guarded tents. Eric lead Damon into the largest. Inside there was a brazier with a well laid fire and it was warmer than you would expect, but still Damon shivered. Eric may at least be dressed for the weather, but Damon still wore the black suit he had worn to Jenna's funeral.

The space they were in felt like an anti-room and although it had few of the comforts of home, it did have a small table with food and drink. Damon could see through the gap of the hide curtain that separated this and the adjoining room, that the other room had a bed.

He shivered violently again. Eric left the anti-room and went to the bedroom. He came back with the largest, plushest fur from the bed and pulled it around Damon's shoulders, so that the furry side was against his skin. Eric kept his hands on the makeshift cloak and regarded the vampire he held captive in his hands. Damon looked into the Viking's eyes. Despite the furs he shivered again.

"You need a drink." Eric said. He went over to the rough hewn table and poured Damon something. He brought the cup to Damon, who took it with gratitude. He sipped at the drink inside and found it both sweet and acrid. He must have made a face because Eric commented.

"It's mead. It takes getting used to. But I am sure you will manage."

Eric walked away from Damon towards the hides that separated the rooms and lifted them up, inviting him through with a wave of his hand. "We will not be disturbed." He said.

Damon followed and when he caught up to the Viking in the doorway he turned and looked at him, his blue eyes searching Eric's. Eric suddenly smacked the cup from Damon's hands and lifted him off his feet.

Damon landed on his back on the fur-strewn bed, which gave softly under his weight. Eric landed on top of him and kissed the breath out of him. The Viking's braid broke free of the leather holding it together and his hair unraveled into a golden cascade over his shoulders. Damon reached up and pushed his hand into the flaxen strands, gripped hard and pulled Eric's lips down to his own. Eric ripped open Damon's shirt, popping every button off of it. He let his hands run over Damon's chest as looked down into eyes as striking as his own.

"Aren't you worried your men will find us?" Damon asked him as he undid the belt at the Viking's waist.

"It is not uncommon for warriors to seek each other's company after battle. It is how they celebrate victory."

"But you said they were losing."

"This is _your_ battlefield, Damon." Eric said solemnly. "We cannot win this war." He paused. "We have a saying for such things. Det viktigaste är inte att vinna, utan att kämpa väl. 'The important thing is not to win, but to fight well.'"

Damon contained his emotion and looked at Eric with dignity. He let his hands slip to the Viking's waist and continued downwards, until he had pushed Eric's pants off his hips. Eric helped maneuver himself out of the last of his clothes. The firelight from the brazier in the corner of the room cast shadows off his lithe body. He crawled back over Damon and looked down upon his face with searching eyes.

"Pull the furs around you." He said and leaned down to gently kissed his way from Damon's lips to his chest and down the contour's of the vampire's body right to the tangle of hair between his legs and to the cock that strained to be inside his mouth.

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><p>Eric licked the length Damon's dick. His let his tongue sweep in broad strokes up to the tip, and then he closed his lips and softly pushed Damon into his mouth, pressing back his foreskin as he slowly drew down the rigid flesh. Damon let a deep sigh leave his lips that was both a sigh of pleasure and of sudden respite from pain. His ever blackening arm rested beside him, and he curled his hands into the fur beneath his finger tips.<p>

Eric was running his mouth up and down his shaft, and Damon turned his head so that his cheek also rest in the silken fur, he let the lustrous strands brush against his nose and cheek. He let out the softest of moans as Eric began to do wonderful, skillful things to his balls. The Viking's fingers were busying themselves on every sensitive part of him and for one sweet moment, he just let himself go and float above the pain. He put aside the cold, the sweat and the visions, and let himself rest in the light.

For a brief moment, there was nothing but Eric's lips surrounding him, warm fur on his naked skin and a war being waged very far away. Damon drifted into a pure white space and when he returned to the room he realized that feeling was when he had come.

Eric wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and moved up the bed, tucking his hair behind his ears. Damon breathed hard and without a word, the Viking lay with his body against him. He pulled a fur over them both, and placed his arm across him. If earlier Eric's hand on Damon's chest had felt intimate, then this seemed almost like all boundaries between them had finally been broken.

"I want to do the same for you." Damon said, but he could feel Eric shake his head behind him.

"Rest a while." The Viking insisted.

* * *

><p>He must have drifted off, because when he woke up, he could feel that he was back in the car with Eric's hand still pressed against his naked chest. Damon turned to face the Viking as best he could while keeping his injured arm out of the way.<p>

"Come and look at what the world will see when it wakes." Eric said, his eyes twinkling mischievously.

They moved awkwardly out of the car. When Damon got outside, he began to tuck in his shirt.

"I don't see anything?" He said, turning to face Eric with confusion on his face.

"Of your undoubted virtues Damon, patience is not one of them."

The bar boys were stood at the outside of the field, and Eric shouted across to them. "My friend here needs a cigarette."

Damon frowned.

Eric was given a packet of smokes and a lighter, he put two cigarettes in his mouth, lit them both, then gave one to Damon. Damon delighted in the taking the smoke into his lungs and watching it curl away into the moonlight. He saw all kinds of shapes in the smoke as the visions overwhelmed him again. He smoked with Eric until they both reached the bitter ends of their cigarettes. Damon dropped his on the floor and ground it under his heel. He was surprised to see Eric toss his far into the air.

When it hit the grass of the football pitch, Damon jumped back with shock as there was a roar, and the pitch burst into flame. The flame curved and grew and spread across the field from one side to the other, following the intricate paths created by the boys with alcohol trails. Eventually the flames died away. Damon looked at Eric confused. Suddenly he found himself in the air. Eric had a firm hold of him, with his arms locked around his waist, and they were floating about twenty feet from the ground.

"Can you see it now?" Eric said. Damon smiled and nodded.

Burned onto the ground in ten feet high letters across the pitch were the words, 'Elena I will love you forever, Damon'. Eric floated back to the ground with him.

"How did you know?"

"Damon my friend, you wear your heart on your sleeve. I am sure everyone knows by now." Damon looked at his feet, and Eric placed a hand on his good shoulder. "Except maybe the one who should know. Am I right?"

The vampire looked up at him. "What's next?" He said. Eric smiled.


	4. Cherry

**Chapter 4: Cherry**

"What's next is whatever you choose, my friend."

"Take me to Shreveport. I want to see this bar of yours."

Eric looked at him, silently appraising whether his request was achievable or not. Damon knew what he was thinking. Did he have enough time?

"Alright, but we may have to improvise a little. Let's get out of here. Take me to your house."

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><p>Damon got back in the car, and drove it like it really would be his last time. Eric said nothing, but was grateful it took a lot more than dangerous driving to kill him. His fingernails dug deeply into the leather seat as the Camaro skirted yet another corner at one-hundred miles per hour. When they finally reached the Salvatore boarding house he felt himself relax.<p>

"Who will take care of this car when I'm gone? It needs love and attention." Damon sulked, petting the hood of his prized possession.

Eric put his arm around the visibly distressed vampire and dragged him away. "Forget these things." He said. "They are of no concern. Your only duty is to live right now, in this moment. A skill, I believe, you have always possessed, my friend."

"No one could say otherwise." Damon agreed, searching his pockets for the keys he already had in his hands.

Eric plucked the keys from him and opened the front door. "Where is your bedroom?" He asked, walking into the house and eyeing the space with envy. He never did like it when other vampires had more than he did. He would have to remember to add some Virginia properties to his portfolio. They had a certain... grandeur.

"Follow me."

Damon grabbed a bottle of malt whisky and took off up the stairs at top speed, Eric followed at a more leisurely pace. When he entered Damon's bedroom, the younger vampire was already stretched out on the bed, leaning back against the headrest. Grimacing, Damon tossed back a swig of booze.

Eric sat down beside him and took away the bottle. He placed his hand on the younger vampire's face; he sensed that Damon was scared. Damon gave Eric a cocky grin and said, "So, let's see this dump of yours before I run out of time."

"Close your eyes." Eric instructed gently, continuing to slowly stroke the younger vampire's face, attempting to calm him.

Damon continued to appear antsy, biting his lip and looking away. The blonde leaned in and gently kissed him. Eric slipped his tongue between the other vampire's lips in an attempt to force him to concentrate on something that wasn't his impending death. But still Damon was too fidgety to continue.

"Are you ever going to settle? I can't do this unless you let me in." Eric complained.

"I was just wondering whether I might finally get to meet the one you sired. Pat?"

"Pam. I am sure she won't be able to stay away."

Eric supposed that Pam would be high up on the list of many people's final wishes. She had that effect.

"Concentrate." He scolded gently, "Or I will not be able to do this." He took both Damon's hands in his and closed his eyes.

What Damon had asked Eric to do was tricky. It was one thing for Eric to enter Damon's own delirious mind, but to let the sick vampire into his while perfectly replicating his bar in his head was the hardest thing he had been asked to do. He wasn't sure he could.

He briefly opened his eyes and saw the sheen of sweat on Damon's brow. The sight of Damon's suffering gave Eric the determination he needed. He closed his eyes tight and thought them both into the car lot outside _Fangtasia_.

* * *

><p>"Is this it?" Damon said, looking up at the red neon name with a smile.<p>

"No, this is some other Shreveport vampire bar." Eric replied dryly, walking to the entrance and opening the door for Damon to go through.

As soon as Damon walked into the darkened room, the music pumping and a crowded club full of people hit him full on, assaulting his senses. On podiums, half-naked male and female vampires danced provocatively, exposing their teeth to an excitable crowd of humans that gathered around them.

"This is all so..." Damon searched for the word, and then settled on, "open." He regarded the vampires dancing with humans with some envy.

"Virginia will come around too one day."

"No. It'll never happen. Virginia vampires like their blood the old fashioned way, straight from the source; I can't really see that synthetic stuff catching on. And that means we lay low. You'll never be opening a franchise in Mystic Falls."

Eric shrugged. "Pity." He nodded towards his cash register, which was constantly ringing. "They're are _some_ benefits of living with humans."

Damon's eyes traveled from the register to the person using it. His excellent hearing could pick out over the noise that the slender woman behind the bar was giving an over-interested customer a put down.

"_If_ I wanted to bite some no-good-loser, do you think I'd ask his permission first?"

The dirty blonde leaned forwards, offering a flash of pointed teeth. The customer at the bar grinned happily, and took his drinks away with him. She straightened her back, and ran her hands down her already immaculate cherry red leather dress that pulled her into an exaggerated hourglass shape.

"Pam." Damon exclaimed, smiling.

"What gave her away? The bad attitude or the even worse customer service?" Eric huffed, but Damon could see the twinkle in the Viking's eyes. Pam was special to him.

Damon walked over to the bar and pushed past the sweaty mass clamoring for drinks.

"Damon Salvatore." He said, putting out his hand to the surly vampire. "It is an honor to finally meet you, Pam."

She defrosted just enough to offer her hand. "My my, one of the Salvatore brothers in our little town. What _have_ we done to deserve this dubious honor?"

Damon liked her immediately. He kissed her hand, his eyes never leaving hers in a deliberate attempt to provoke her.

"Is that any way to greet someone who has been desperate to make your acquaintance?"

"Darling, I hear that line twenty times a day. Why don't you come back when you've got something new?" She said plucking her hand from his as though she had been bitten.

Damon chuckled, then looked stricken. A chance to come back was something he didn't have.

A man at the bar who was disgruntled by the hold up, began to make his opinion more widely known.

"Hey buddy, you wanna move out of the way? Some of us are dying of thirst. Those of us that ain't dead already." He grumbled, pushing on Damon's sore arm.

Damon turned on him and slammed his hand into the man's throat, putting him down on the floor. The man clutched at his neck and gasped for breath. Damon quickly changed his features and showed off his sharp teeth and veined eyes. He added a threatening growl for good measure.

"Ooh, Eric," Pam purred, checking out Damon's veined eyes with appreciative curiosity, "you brought me an exotic gift to play with. How sweet of you."

Damon relaxed his face as he felt the presence of the Viking at his shoulder.

"Not for you, my dear." Eric said. "This one's mine." Pam pouted, then gave him a sassy look before throwing a few more insults at the crowd of people at the bar. The meaner she got, the more they appeared to love it.

Eric put his hand on the shorter vampire's shoulder causing Damon to turn to face him. "You two quite finished getting acquainted?"

"Mmm, I'm not entirely sure. I think I'd like a little more time to get to know the delightful Pam." Damon turned back to grin over his shoulder at her. She gave him a look that said she had seen better things on the bottom of her shoe, and returned to serving. "She's adorable." He added with a grin.

"She bites you know." Eric replied with a wry smile.

"I might be inclined to let her."

The blonde smiled wanly. "Do you want to continue the tour, or do you want to stand at the bar and add to the number of Pam's devoted acolytes?"

"Lead on." Damon replied.

* * *

><p>Damon laughed. "You have your own dungeon? In a bar? Nice. I'm not even going to ask what you do with <em>that<em> contraption." He pointed to something hanging from the ceiling with lots of industrial chains and leather straps.

Eric leaned towards his ear, "Want me to show you?"

Damon was about to answer, when he caught a glimpse of something white, moving just out of his eye line behind a pillar.

"Are we alone in here?" He asked with confusion.

Eric sped Damon up against a wall and put his hands either side of his head. He began to nibble his way across the vampire's neck, trailing his sharp teeth over the throbbing vein in his throat. "Why? You want more company? It can be arranged."

"If we are alone, then who is that person I keep seeing?"

Eric continued to nibble at Damon's earlobe. "I assure you, it's just you and me, lover."

"No, I swear I saw a girl down here. She was wearing um, black shorts and a white t-shirt."

Eric stopped what he was doing and his eyes flared.

"She was blonde. I've seen her twice now." Damon said with confusion. "She was upstairs in the bar earlier too. Does she work here?"

"No. She shouldn't be here." Eric closed his eyes inside the fantasy and tried to focus. When he opened them again, he swore. The person he was trying to block had now multiplied. Eight identical blondes were dotted all around the room. Some standing, some sitting, some tapping their feet, but all of them following him with appreciative eyes.

Damon looked at the girl, then back to Eric. "Who is she?" He asked with rising curiosity.

"No-one." Eric said and tried to move on him for a kiss, but Damon held him back.

"She clearly _is_ someone, otherwise I don't think I would be looking at eight versions of her." Damon squinted at the green logo on the girl's t-shirt. "What's 'Merlotte's'?" He asked.

"Nothing. No-one. Just forget her." Eric said gruffly.

"I'm not sure it's up to me to do that. Aren't we in your head?" Damon replied. If he wasn't intrigued before, Eric's reaction certainly had him intrigued now.

"Fine, would you prefer this?" Eric said, and he closed his eyes again in his fantasy world and when he opened them, the blonde girl was replaced by eight versions of Damon, all in different states of undress.

Damon laughed. "Hmm, I don't think you have really used your imagination when it comes to that one." He said pointing at the fully naked version of himself, who was reclining against a pillar.

"That better?" Eric said, adjusting the proportions.

"Mm-hm, much." Damon reached out to put his hand behind the vampire's head to kiss him, but as he did, he crumpled with pain.

Eric leaned down to pick him up, and because he lost concentration, they were both unceremoniously thrown back into the real world.

* * *

><p>"Damon." Eric said, putting his hand behind the dying vampire's neck. "Damon!"<p>

Damon wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded. "I'm fine. I just felt a little dizzy."

"Let us stay here then, in this world. Together for a while."

Damon grew quiet. "I wish I had someone like Pam." He said eventually, "She loves you truly. And you love her too, even though I know you'd never admit it." The elder vampire did not respond. "I never had someone to follow me through life like that. Except for Stefan of course, and we have spent half as much time fighting as we have being friends."

"You never wanted to sire anyone?" Eric asked him gently.

"There was this one time. I gave a girl my blood, but...well, it wasn't to be." He looked away. "She didn't want what I offered her."

Eric nodded thoughtfully. "It is a responsibility. Not one to be taken lightly. Perhaps Elena knew you weren't ready."

"How did you know...?"

"Damon, your love for that girl is written through every part of you."

"That obvious, eh?"

"Want me to distract you from thinking about her?" He offered, stroking a long finger along Damon's chin. "I can think of a few ways."

"Sure. Go right ahead." Damon answered. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of lips on his skin as Eric trailed kisses down his body once more.

"Eric," he suddenly asked, "what is the waitress' name?" The Viking was just beginning to undo his belt, but stopped what he was doing.

"We're not talking about her."

"Do I detect embarrassment?" Eric always had had delusions of grandeur, Damon could just imagine how he would find confessing love for a waitress.

"Her name is Sookie Stackhouse."

Damon snorted a laugh. Eric glared at him.

"I'm sorry. It's just... Well, I never thought you would end up with a waitress from Louisiana called Sookie. That's all."

Eric moved back up the bed until he was level with the vampire. "Oh you think that's funny do you?"

Damon flipped over so that Eric was beneath him. "Yes I do as a matter of fact."

Eric reached down between Damon's legs and slipped his hand into his now open fly, he stroked his slowly stiffening cock. Damon murmured sounds of appreciation, "And do you find this funny?" Eric said, teasingly. Damon shook his head.

"No."

"What about this?" He pulled the now stiff cock free of the restraining fabric and began to stroke it.

"No, not funny. Good."

Damon tipped his head back and closed his eyes. Suddenly the arms he was supporting himself on gave out and he accidentally dropped onto Eric's chest. Eric smoothly changed their positions as if nothing had happened.

Eric leaned down and pulled Damon's bottom lip between his. Damon's arms slid around him as he enjoyed the Viking's kiss. Their encounter before this evening had been a wild one, with blood, booze and breakages. But this evening had tenderness.

"Do you want me inside you?" Eric whispered into his ear.

Damon thought about that for a moment. It wasn't really his style, but then he knew he was weakening every minute. Eric's face kept changing between his real one, and others that Damon did not recognize. He knew he was slipping away and he wasn't sure he had the strength to do anything _but_ allow himself to be shown affection. And besides, he knew what Eric offered him was not something he offered everyone, no matter how much he teased and flirted with all and sundry. So he simply nodded.

Eric moved down his body, licking, nibbling and kissing his way. The Viking's lips made their way to Damon's cock; Eric licked the length of it, teasing Damon to complete stiffness. The older vampire's cool hands moved over Damon's inner thighs and stroked their muscular form. He brushed his lips over Damon's legs, pushed them up and so that his knees were bent as his tongue vibrated across his balls.

Eric's tongue slipped down across the ridge of Damon's sensitive perineum and slid to the gathered entrance. Eric worked his lips and tongue to moisten, his fingers slipping and sliding across the sensitive opening, teasing Damon into groaning, "Christ, Viking, you're driving me mad!". Eric chuckled, his lips never leaving Damon's skin. The sensations made Damon clutch the rumpled sheets. Eric moistened and gently pushed his finger inside the vampire, as his other hand found the vampire's cock and began to stroke.

Damon's head tipped back and his mouth fell open. He was somewhere between worlds, but the feelings Eric was inducing in him were carrying him to a place where only pleasure existed. Eric's one finger had become two, and Damon could feel the gentle push at his inner walls, his slick heat and tightness closing around the Viking's fingers. He heard Eric groan too, he hoped the other's cock throbbed with as much pleasure as he was feeling.

Eric withdrew his fingers and quickly disrobed. He looked down at the naked vampire beneath him, eyes closed in pleasure. Damon's swollen cock cast a shadow on his own ab-lined stomach.

"Mmm," Eric purred. He moved back onto the bed climbing over Damon, and enjoyed the light touch of his skin on the vampire's beneath him. Damon placed a hand lightly on the muscles of his arm. "Are you ready?" Eric asked softly, Damon nodded.

Eric put his hand between his legs, rubbed his own pre-cum over his cock and positioned himself at Damon's entrance. He looked into Damon's eyes, pausing before slowly pushing himself in. Damon tensed. "You okay?" Eric said breathlessly, holding still and allowing the vampire beneath him to relax.

"You're not exactly small." Damon said smiling up at the vampire. Eric smirked, leaned down and let their lips lock in a wet, slippery kiss that had their chests touching. Damon's hand slipped into the blonde's hair and pulled him hard against him. "Move." He said into the Viking's mouth.

Eric began to move slowly inside him. Damon groaned with pleasure. Eric being taller didn't appear to be a problem. He used the strength in his arms to hold him above the younger vampire, whose hands trailed down the contours of his back and pulled at his behind.

"Damon, you keep that up," Eric warned, "I'm not gonna last."

Damon rolled his hips and shifted so that Eric was even deeper inside. Damon cried out. His voice was deep and throaty as blissful ecstasy overcame him. His cock was rubbing against the stomach of the vampire on top of him. Eric's body was slick with Damon's pre-cum and his movements shifted Damon's foreskin back and forth, causing him to growl, "Oh God, oh God."

Damon's face became vampiric as he lost control. Eric was struggling to maintain control himself. He had to admit it, the vampire beneath him was hot as hell and having sex with him was a thing he wish he could do again and again.

Suddenly a pain ripped through Damon's arm and rippled up into his chest. With the onset of the agony he arched his back, causing Eric to nudge his prostate. "Fuck me!" Damon exclaimed in surprise at the sudden all-over eroticism he felt; he could no longer separate pain from pleasure. It was akin to being bitten. Eric, though, took the words as an instruction and began to pick up speed.

The Viking reached down for the rigid cock between them and slid his hand over it firmly, tugging the vampire into a shuddering, roaring and intense orgasm.

Damon's come glistened all over their bodies. Eric saw the look of bliss and pain on Damon's face and came himself - spilling his load into the vampire with a low moan.

He withdrew slowly, almost reluctantly, from Damon's body. Both vampires lay next to each other, barely touching, both processing what had just happened.

Then, Damon admitted something.

"You know that was my first time."

Eric looked puzzled. "What?"

"That I let someone do that to me."

"Really?"

Damon nodded. "I'm glad it was you."

"Damon, I had no idea." Damon shrugged it off, but in fact it had been kind of a big deal for him. With his trust issues, letting another man enter him had never been something he had allowed, or even contemplated. On their previous encounter, (from what he could remember of it), Eric had been the recipient of some pretty brutal passion, but that had been as far as it went.

"Well, I hope I didn't let you down." Eric said sincerely.

Damon shook his head no. "Of course you didn't."

Damon's own smile suddenly dropped and he began to shiver.

"Are you cold?" Eric said with concern, turning onto his side and leaning on his elbow, looking down at the dark haired vampire's glistening face.

"Mm, a little."

"Would you like to take a shower with me?" Eric said.

Damon smiled and nodded.

As the two men toweled down, Eric examined Damon's blackening arm. Damon watched Eric's frown grow.

"I wish there was something I could do." Eric said sadly.

"I'm not expecting any eleventh hour miracles. I'm okay with this."

"Make your peace with the world." Eric said. "We all should all be given time to do that." Damon nodded. Eric slipped his arms around him and looked down into his serious eyes. "I'm glad I found you here tonight."

"I am too."

Eric kissed him softly and then turned away to get dressed. As Damon tucked his towel around his waist he went over to the taller vampire.

"Eric?"

"Mm-hm." Eric replied, his back to him as he hitched up his jeans and did up the fly.

"Tell Sookie you love her. She should know."

The other vampire paused, his head held low. He said nothing for a while, then finally he spoke, "I will stay with you, 'till the end. If you want me to."

"No. You've done enough. I know what has to be done."

Eric nodded. Damon examined the short blonde hairs on the back of the Viking's neck, that only moments ago his fingers had brushed across.

"Damon," Eric said with sadness, "may Valhalla keep you, because on earth you'll be missed."

And before Damon could reply to him, Eric Northman was gone.


End file.
